The Missouri Tigers (4-4) travel to Athens on Saturday to take on the unbeaten – and unmatched in 2021 so far – Georgia Bulldogs (8-0). Here are the three keys to a Missouri victory.
By Steve Wright
1 – Some sort of run defense
This is a scary matchup for the Tigers. The defense is last in the nation at stopping the run and teams like SEMO and Vanderbilt have run for over 200 yards with relative ease. This won’t be news to anyone, but Georgia has a better running game than those two schools. It is hard to see how the Tigers keep Georgia under 300 yards on the ground (let alone 200) but if there isn’t a massive improvement in the scheme and tackling over the course of this week then it might not matter how well the talented Mizzou offense actually plays.
2 – Connor Bazelak has to play
Playing against one of the best defenses in college football’s recent history is tough enough with everyone healthy. The problem for the Tigers – the team with maybe the best offense that Georgia has faced all season – is that starting quarterback Connor Bazelak is anything but certain to play in this one. Bazelak left the game against Vanderbilt last weekend with a hip injury, one bad enough to cause him to fall to the ground before being descended on by trainers. If Bazelak is a go then he and running back Tyler Badie can at least ask some questions of Georgia, if not then it could be a long day.
3 – Have to turn the ball over
This isn’t a key as much as a necessity. If Georgia and Mizzou have a game flow with each team enjoying the same field position and number of productive possessions then Georgia wins. The Bulldogs are a 37.5 point favorite for a reason – they are really good – so the Tigers will need to find ways to flip the script (and the field) in this one. A special team’s win or two would be ideal, but even then you feel the Tigers will have to be at least +3 in turnover margin to have a realistic shot at what would be an all-time upset.
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